Born : 14 June 1930
Profession : 9 March 1952
Died : 11 January 2026
Sister Nicole Sarah was born in the 12th arrondissement, the daughter of Isaac and Fania, both of Jewish origin. Her father was Russian and her mother Polish. The family spoke in Yiddish. War broke out in June 1940 and Nicole experienced the Nazi persecution. She wore the yellow star, by which Jews were identified as targets of persecution. She experienced fleeing and the exodus, but then returned to Paris three weeks later, though without her father. She remembers the ‘Black Thursday’ of 16 July, the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup, where Jewish women and children were rounded up. She was only 12 years old at the time, but she remembers it vividly.
One day, at 4am, the police knocked on the door of their apartment. Nicole and her mother were taken to the Police Station, carrying only a small suitcase. Nicole was freed, because she was a naturalized French citizen, but her mother was taken away. This was her final goodbye to her mother. Years later, perhaps in 1984, thanks to Serge Kartshert’s book, she learned that her mother had died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz on 7th August 1942. Edith Stein (Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), died in the same place on 9th August. We can only imagine the secret suffering Nicole endured during all those years when she knew nothing about her mother.
When she was 13, Nicole was able to join her father, who had fled to Puy-Guillaume in the Auvergne region. There she found herself in a school, singing and dancing with a group of young people called “Valiant Souls.” They were led by a priest who told her that “Jesus belonged to the race of Israel, that his mother was Jewish like you.” In 1945, when the war was ended, Nicole returned to Paris. She got a job in a company as a stenographer. This permitted her to earn a living. However, every summer, she joined her friends in the Ambert Mountains and worked as a counsellor at organized summer camps. This allowed her to maintain ties with the parishioners of Puy-Guillaume.
Nicole waited a long time for the baptism she so desired, but she wasn’t yet of age; she needed her father’s permission and he refused. It was the Bishop of Le-Puy-en-Velay who was going to administer to her the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. But it was wartime, the roads were cut off and travel was dangerous…so finally, on 11 August 1944, she received the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion from the parish priest. She was 14 years old. What wonders the Lord worked for her! Isn’t it significant that Nicole rendered her soul to God on the day we celebrated the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, Sunday 11th January 2026!
Nicole’s desire was to go and care for the lepers. She wanted to be a “Sister” and asked her father to give her a deed of freedom to do so. She was 17 years of age. When her father died, she was 18, and therefore free. Thanks to a Marist priest in Riom, Nicole applied to join the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM), arriving on 24 September 1949, where she was welcomed by Sister Marie Bruno, the Novice Mistress at Ste Foy les Lyon. Sr Nicole remained deeply grateful to Sister M Bruno, who understood her so well and helped her adapt to this new form of life as a postulant and then as a novice.
It was there at Ste-Foy-les-Lyon that she made her first profession on 9 March 1952. Happy to give of herself to her ministry, Nicole was sent to Hydra in Algeria for two years, where she taught at the Sisters’ school. In 1954, Nicole was sent to Malaetoli in Wallis, first as a teacher and then as headmistress. What joy she experienced when, in 1959, she was able to present her first students for the Primary School Leaving Certificate! In 1965, she was asked to serve at Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc School in the New Hebrides for two years.
From 1968 to 1972, Nicole was back teaching at the school at Malaetoli, an experienced teacher who enabled the students throughout the district to make rapid progress. In 1974 she put her talents to good use as headmistress of St Joseph’s School at Bourail in New Caledonia. Then, in 1977, Nicole took over the role of headmistress of the Catholic School at Thio, a position she held until 1983, when she was transferred to Notre-Dame School at La Foa. She remained there until she retired in 1996.
However, retirement was not a time of rest for Nicole. She was asked to serve the Congregation as Regional Bursar, while at the same time teaching catechism in two public schools. Then from 1999 to 2014 she managed the CERN (Centre for Religious Education) or Religious Bookstore behind the Cathedral in Noumea. During her free time, she volunteered to welcome families visiting their inmates at the Camp Est Prison.
Unfortunately, Nicole’s health deteriorated due to all the activities she was doing. In 2020, a sudden Stroke landed her in hospital. She recovered, but was left with some lasting effects. In 2023 she was welcomed into Nazareth Community at Mont-Mou. She made the most of the place and be able to stroll around in the surrounding area. Always an early riser, she could already be seen at dawn sitting on the bench at the House of Welcome.
Nicole was hospitalised for an infection on 10th December 2025 and returned to Nazareth on 2nd January 2026. She was greatly weakened and could no longer get up or feed herself. The home care nurses and the Sisters took turns caring for her with lots of care and affection.
On Sunday afternoon, her condition became worrying. Sister Lasela, the community leader, gathered the Sisters of Mont-Mou around Nicole, to renew her vows and confide her final moments to Mary. At 8.30 on Sunday evening Nicole commended her soul to God.
Thank you, Nicole Sarah, for all that you were, with courage and generosity, on this earth. Perhaps we haven’t always known how to understand you; your journey was unknown to us. … May the Lord forgive us and welcome you with all His goodness and love. May young women of today have the courage to set out, like you, with complete confidence, to follow
Jesus, my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3 :17)
Sister Marie Ida Briffod
